The past year has been a great one for your relationship, and this year on Valentine’s Day, you really want to show your valentine just how much you appreciate her and how much stronger your love has grown as the years have passed. And although you have done some pretty impressive things on the holiday over the years, this is the year that just may top them all because your life’s journey together is bringing you to Cape Hatteras, NC for a Valentine’s Day that will be filled with love, romance, and all the wonderful moments that will make her sigh happily, including the ones spent in our Lighthouse View cozy cottages on the beach. This guide to planning the perfect North Carolina Valentine’s Day will help ensure that you don’t make a single misstep on the most romantic day of the year.
Choose Oceanfront
The first tip to planning a Valentine’s Day to remember starts before your adventure does, and by that we mean choosing an oceanfront Hatteras Island house rental. The majority of our rooms, suites, and cottages are oceanfront, but some of the cottages are oceanside or just offer ocean views, and a few of our rooms and suites are poolside, so be sure to fully read the description on the love nest you are considering. There is nothing more romantic than the ocean, and you both will certainly enjoy your escape all the more when its presence can’t be ignored. Once your space is booked, you can count on a vacation filled with salt air, sea breezes, and warmth, romance, and serenity.
Breakfast in Bed
Normally we would suggest a sunrise walk on the beach for the best start to the day, and if you think your love would appreciate the idea, by all means, go for it. But your lovely lady (or handsome man) will more than likely be appreciative of some time for extra sleep punctuated with a simple breakfast that she won’t have to get up and walk anywhere to enjoy. The kitchens in our cottages are fully equipped with appliances large and small, offering a cheerful vibe and an easy way to prepare the most important meal of the day. But what if you are staying in one of our rooms or suites? The kitchenette area does include a microwave, coffee maker, and minifridge, so chill a bottle of champagne and some orange juice for mimosas, heat up some muffins, and a romantic breakfast in bed is served.
Cape Hatteras Massage, 252-996-5212
Travel puts kinks in all your muscles and a good massage can be the best way to loosen up and relax; Cape Hatteras Massage will come to you! This mobile massage service offers customized massages that include essential oils designed to heal, relax, and awaken your senses, leaving the customer feeling recharged, renewed, and feeling like a new person in the best of ways. They don’t offer much in the way of couple’s massage in the area, and the masseuse at Cape Hatteras Massage is just one lovely lady, but we are sure that if you don’t want to feel left out, you could book her for two sessions, yours taking place immediately after your valentine finishes hers.
It’s All About the Horses
Every 12 year old girl has gone through her horse crush phase, and even if she hasn’t thought about it for years, that crush still lingers, a spark hidden deep inside just waiting to burst into flames with the opportunity to enjoy adventures that involve said creatures. Make her dreams come true by engaging in the activities listed below.
Hatteras Island Horseback Riding, 252-216-9191
Is there anything more magical or romantic than a horseback ride taken on sandy beaches as the ocean ebbs and flows at your feet? The wonderful people at Hatteras Island Horseback Riding certainly feel that there isn’t, and their guided walks at shore’s edge will definitely take your romantic adventures to the next level of perfection. For nearly 20 years this company has been safely leading families, friends, and happy couples on adventures that will never be forgotten. Offering a standard ride that provides stunning views of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the Atlantic Ocean, and Hatteras Inlet, they also offer the opportunity to customize your ride, including photo shoots, and ideas on where the best spot to pop the question might be, should you be considering doing so.
Equine Adventures, 252-995-4897
Because choices are important in life and a Valentine’s Day ride on the beach is a very popular experience in the Outer Banks, Equine Adventures offers another thrilling opportunity to enjoy horses, the beach, and the beauty of a North Carolina winter day. Offering two rides a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, their rides will take you from the cool green of the forest to the beaches, offering views of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Atlantic Ocean while also providing the peacefulness of the woods. Their herd is made up of a variety of different breeds, including quarter horses, Appaloosas, paints, and drafts, all of which are gentle, sweet, and ready to provide their riders with an experience they will never forget.
See the Wild Horses
This next adventure involves a little more of a journey than we usually recommend, but the history of the famed Outer Banks wild horses will certainly make the commute worth the extra effort. Many centuries ago, Spanish explorers were doing what they do best, exploring the islands of the Outer Banks, and were greeted by some, well, rather unhappy permanent residents. Forced to leave the island in a rush, they abandoned their poor steeds, leaving them to adapt to a new environment, situation, even diet, which they did marvelously well. Today, the wild horses of the Outer Banks are the descendants of those original steeds and can be seen at a variety of places in the area. The Ocracoke Pony Pen, located just south of the Hatteras/Ocracoke Ferry Dock, is the closest to your Lighthouse View escape, featuring a unique breed of horse that has been penned in for their protection. Don’t worry about them feeling penned in, however, as they have 188 acres of marshland to explore; they just seem to prefer hanging around the stables, where food and water is available on a regular basis.
Sweets for Your Sweet
Is a box of chocolates something that has been a common gift for Valentine’s Day almost since the dawn of time? Of course it is. But does it work? It absolutely does, and just because your gift to your valentine was this amazing Cape Hatteras romantic adventure, it doesn’t mean you should ignore the tried and true. Sugar Kingdom, located at 40220 North Carolina Highway 12 in Avon, is sure to delight. A relatively new candy store in the area, it just opened in January 2024 and has already become our favorite place for classic candies as well as the new and unusual. Offering candies you may remember from your childhood as well as sodas, stuffies, and a warehouse filled with color and sugar, the case in its center is where you want to start, picking out a selection of handmade chocolates for your sweetest gal and promising not to sample them before she has had the chance to taste each one!
Shop ‘til You Drop at These Local Stores
Shopping for souvenirs and gifts is a time-honored vacation tradition that translates well during a Valentine’s Day adventure and will be enjoyed even more when you explore the local shops selling items and art that you just won’t find anywhere else, including the shops we have listed below.
Red Drum Pottery and Paintings, 53561 North Carolina Highway 12 in Frisco
Representing the talents of this area extremely well, Red Drum Pottery and Paintings features the life’s work of two of our most esteemed local artists. The beautiful masterpieces on display are distinctive, and if you can bear to part with the pieces you buy to give as gifts, it will delight the recipient as much as it saddens you to hand them over. Also selling jewelry, skin care products, and clothing, you may find it difficult to leave without purchasing a sample of everything they offer.
Farmer’s Daughter Hatteras, 58848 Marina Way in Hatteras
Painted in a bright, mint-colored hue, you can’t and shouldn’t miss shopping at the Farmer’s Daughter, known for its unique gifts that include rubs for barbecue, funny tees, and even Yeti coolers that could be perfect to use for a fun picnic on the beach during your stay in Cape Hatteras.
Hattiebuilt, 40530 North Carolina Highway 12 Suite C in Avon
Yet another shop that celebrates the work of the locals, Hattiebuilt offers wares that celebrate the sea in all its moods. Offering a lifestyle brand that we are proud of and merchandise that shines bright in all the ways you will use it upon your return home, Hattiebuilt also celebrates life on Cape Hatteras and all that makes it special.
The Language of Love
Food is often considered the language of love, and the restaurants below will offer an authentic taste of Outer Banks life as well as providing romance for your North Carolina Valentine’s Day celebration.
ISOLA Pizzeria & Bar, 57331 North Carolina Highway 12 in Hatteras
If food is the language of love, nothing speaks it more fluently than Italian food, so of course our first suggestion will lead you to ISOLA Pizzeria & Bar. Offering a casual vibe that makes all guests feel comfortable and at home, its menu encompasses not just pizza, but salads, pastas, and cannolis so delicious they should be considered their own food group! Also offering fried Oreos that need to be sampled, you may want to order one of both and share.
Sonny’s Waterfront Restaurant, 57947 North Carolina Highway 12 in Hatteras
Just as your Lighthouse View cottage offers more romance due to its oceanfront location, Sonny’s Waterfront Restaurant offers its own extra helping of romance simply due to its location on the harbor. That isn’t the only thing it has going for it, however, as its fresh and locally sourced seafood-centric menu will bring you joy, delighting your tastebuds and feeding your soul while it fills your stomach. Don’t forget to save room for dessert, especially their Triple Mousse Cheesecake or homemade Key Lime Pie.
Café Pamlico, 49684 North Carolina Highway 12 in Buxton
Offering views of Pamlico Sound that accompany it locally sourced coastal cuisine menu to perfection, we suggest timing your dinner to coincide with sunset for an especially exciting and romantic experience. Reservations are recommended, and if you are still considering popping the question, a walk along the boardwalk to the water’s edge may provide the ideal location, but only if done exactly when the sun sets the sky on fire!
Romance Awaits with Lighthouse View
No matter how you spend your daylight hours, coming home to the comfort, luxury, and serenity found in our Lighthouse View Hatteras Island house rentals will be your favorite part of every day. Start your Valentine’s Day out with breakfast in bed and end it while binge watching rom coms and with a final walk on the moonlit beach that surrounds you. THIS can be the perfect time to ask that most important question you will ever ask, and as the moon casts its ethereal glow on sand and sea, the sparkle in your Valentine’s eyes will outshine it all. Even without the proposal, your stay on Cape Hatteras will be romantic and loving, and as you play games on a rainy night, share secrets and dreams over breakfast in bed, or simply sit on the balcony, staring out at the world’s most beautiful sight, that of the Atlantic Ocean and the sandy beaches that frame it to perfection, you will know there is nowhere else you want to be. Reserve your favorite romantic retreat today and start planning the most perfect Valentine’s Day of all time!
